Taking Stock And Taking Control

Posted: 5:42 am Monday, March 13th, 2017

By Ann Kelly

It’s my personal believe that there are no miracles or quick fixes for losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It has to be a lifetime commitment, and that’s what keeps me going even when I’m feeling a little discouraged. Between you and I, that’s the way I’ve felt for the past few weeks. Dealing with the ups and down that come with a chronic disease like lupus have been a challenge but I can’t let that lead to sabotaging the hard work that’s already led to a 14 pound weight loss. The single best think I’ve ever done for myself is to keep to a clean eating diet as much as I can. It’s what gives me back the energy I need when I feel the lowest and that’s happened a few times over the past few weeks.

When I had to add a new medication called Cellcept I was pretty concerned about side effects. Face it, doesn’t if freak you out just a bit when you actually take the time to read the warnings? But that’s necessary if you want to be in control and informed with choices and I sure do. So we’ll see all it all pans out in a few more weeks, but for now the hips are still pretty tender and that’s led to a change in my workout regime with Jim at the BayCare Carillon Wells Center. There’s been more than one day when I all I wanted to do was just go home but that’s the easy way out. Jim has helped me to adapt while we work out the hip issue so I’m still getting in a good workout but staying away from anything that could be considered high impact for my legs. You know how much I just love walks in our parks, so I go for the boardwalks instead of the trails that don’t give me enough support, and avoid the concrete paths that are too high impact. I have to tell myself on a daily basis that there is always something I can do.

You’ve guessed by now how strongly I believe in the power of positive thinking. My mental health is what tells me despite what my physical health may be that I’m the one in control and making the right decisions. So if it’s a “down day” that’s fine, it’s not the end of the world. That’s the time when it’s okay to speak up and ask for help if I need it – and you don’t know how hard that’s been. Realizing that maybe I can’t do it all, all the time is one of the hardest things I have to accept. But that comes with just being human. So taking “me” time is more important than ever. And I do love adding massage therapy to my regime. I see Rachel at the Wellness Center once a week and I really look forward to that. Honestly I avoided massage for a long time. There’s something called “trigger points” that can be incredibly tender. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what the massage therapy has accomplished. Taking the weight loss and exercise into consideration and adding the massage therapy has worked. Jim tells me I have “massage face” afterwards. If that’s what pure bliss looks like – fine with me! Living with a chronic illness can present a new challenge for me every day, but I say bring it on! Remember this is my individual experience and always check with your physician before starting any weight loss and exercise program. For more fromBayCareand the Health and Wellness Program, just click here. And please feel free to share your experiences (and recipes) with me at ann.kelly.com. Here’s to a healthy life for us all!